Shuttlecock

ABSTRACT

The invention describes a shuttlecock with a conically shaped crown ( 1 ), wherein, in contrast to the circumferential surface which, in the case of known shuttlecocks, has a straight conical profile, the crown ( 1 ) is designed in the region of the crown opening ( 3 ) with an end region ( 4 ) having an inwardly curved radius.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a National Phase Patent Application of International Patent Application Number PCT/EP2008/061061, filed on Aug. 25, 2008, which claims priority of German Patent Application Number 10 2007 041 169.5, filed on Aug. 24, 2007.

The invention relates to a shuttlecock with a crown having a substantially conical shape, wherein the crown is connected to a striking cap in the region of the narrow crown end.

WO 2005/000428 A1 includes a number of terminology definitions which can analogously be adopted for the present invention.

The conventional subject matter disclosed therein is a shuttlecock with a conical crown and a striking cap arranged on the crown. At least one removable ring is arranged on the crown which can be used to alter the flight characteristics. The crown itself has a straight conical surface envelope.

It is an object of the invention to provide a shuttlecock which has improved flight characteristics compared to conventional shuttlecocks and which ensures, more particularly, a stable flight path and a greater range.

The shuttlecock should also retain to the greatest possible extent its dimensional stability even when damaged.

The object is solved with the invention by the features in the characterizing portion of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are recited in the dependent claims.

According to the invention, a shuttlecock is provided which has a conically shaped crown that is connected with a striking cap. Unlike the otherwise straight conical envelope in the end region of conventional shuttlecocks, the surface envelope of the crown is here provided with an inwardly curved radius in the region of the crown opening. The surface envelope, which is inwardly curved in the end region of the crown opening with a radius, reduces the air resistance of the shuttlecock, meaning that the shuttlecock experiences less wind resistance along its flight path. This shape of the surface envelope with an inwardly curved radius in the region of the crown opening advantageously also reduces the deviations of the shuttlecock during flight from its intended flight path in crosswind. The shape of the shuttlecock according to the invention also points the shuttlecock much better into the wind on its flight path than a smooth conical shuttlecock with a straight surface envelope. At the same time, the shape of the shuttlecock according to the invention keeps the shuttlecock on its path and extends the range, because the shuttlecock does not rotate in the air along its flight path about its own axis, i.e., around itself.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the cross rib arranged at the crown opening has a wavelike shape. As a result, the end segments at the crown opening have indentations and protrusions. This also improves the accuracy of the flight path and of the flight trajectory, and the shuttlecock also becomes dimensionally more stable. Consequently, even if continuous use of the shuttlecock causes partially vertically extending cracks, its flight characteristics remain superb.

By only providing the transverse rib disposed at the crown opening with a wavelike shape, the shuttlecock does not rotate about its own axis during flight.

Advantageously, with this embodiment of the shuttlecock, either the wave maximum is located at a longitudinal rib and the wave minimum is located centrally between the longitudinal ribs, or vice a versa.

The flight characteristics can be further improved by arranging the segment ribs in the end segments in the region of the crown opening with mutually different spacing.

The flight stability and range can be further improved by implementing the transition between the striking cap and the press ring without a step.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments which are at least partially illustrated in the drawings. It is shown in:

FIG. 1 a shuttlecock according to the invention with an inwardly curved radius of the surface envelope in the region of the crown opening,

FIG. 2 a top view on the wavelike crown opening of the shuttlecock,

FIG. 2A the wavelike crown opening of the shuttlecock with a wave maximum at the longitudinal ribs,

FIG. 2B the wavelike crown opening of the shuttlecock with a wave minimum at the longitudinal ribs,

FIG. 3 a shuttlecock with a step-less transition of the striking cap and installed wind ring, and

FIG. 4 a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3.

As seen in FIG. 1, the shuttlecock is composed of a crown 1 and a striking cap 9, wherein at least one press ring 10 is arranged between the crown 1 and the striking cap 9. The press ring 10 protrudes from the striking cap 9, so that an edge is formed between the press ring 10 and the striking cap 9. Unlike conventional shuttlecocks with a straight conical surface envelope, the crown 1 has in the region of the crown opening 3 an end region 4 with an inwardly curved radius. This radius clearly moves away from the imaginary extension of the surface envelope of the lower region of the crown 1 facing the striking cap 9. This produces the spacing X indicated in FIG. 1. The crown itself is composed of longitudinal ribs 5 and transverse ribs 6, which form segments 7.

The segments 7 have segment ribs 8. The segment ribs 8 have different spacings from one another in the end segments 7 a proximate to the crown opening 3. For example, the separation between the segment ribs in the end segments 7 a can be very narrow on one side and somewhat wider on the other side.

As seen from FIG. 2, the transverse rib 6 a arranged at the crown opening 3 has a wavelike shape. Both in this embodiment and in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2A, the wave maximum is located on a longitudinal rib 5, while the wave minimum is located centrally between the longitudinal ribs 5. FIG. 2B shows a different embodiment where the wave minimum is located at a longitudinal rib 5. The shape of the waveform can also be modified in that not rounded portions, but pointed tips are realized at the wave maximum and at the wave minimum. The end segments 7 a have indentations due to the wavelike shape of the transverse ribs 6 a.

Releasable rings 11 can be arranged between the crown 1 and the striking cap 9 for increasing the weight of the shuttlecock and changing the flight characteristics, as illustrated in the Figure and in FIG. 4. A ring arranged in this fashion is then held at a fixed location under pretension by, on one hand, the conical surface envelope of the crown 1 and, on the other hand, by a rear boundary wall of the striking cap 9.

FIG. 3 shows a different embodiment of the shuttlecock, wherein the transition between the striking cap 9 and the press ring 10 is implemented without a step. This arrangement further reduces the air resistance of the shuttlecock in flight. In this modified embodiment, the press ring 10 is recessed in the striking cap 9 and flush with the striking cap 9.

The cross-sectional view according to FIG. 4 illustrates anchoring of the crown 1 in the striking cap 9.

The invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. Additional modified embodiments can be realized by modifying the aforementioned elements and features, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCES SYMBOLS

 1 Crown  2 Envelope  3 Crown opening  4 End region  5 Longitudinal rib  6, 6a Transverse rib  7 Segment  7a End segment  8 Segment rib  9 Striking cap 10 Press ring 11 Releasable ring 12 Indentation X Spacing 

1. A shuttlecock, comprising: a conically shaped crown having a crown opening and a surface envelope with an end region having an inwardly curved radius, and a striking cap attached to the crown opposite the crown opening.
 2. The shuttlecock according to claim 1, wherein the crown comprises longitudinal ribs and second transverse ribs, which form segments, with the segments having segment ribs.
 3. The shuttlecock according to claim 10, wherein a wave maximum of the wave-like shape of the first transverse rib is arranged on a longitudinal rib, and a wave minimum of the wave-like shape is arranged centrally between longitudinal ribs.
 4. The shuttlecock according to claim 2, wherein the segment ribs in end segments in a region of the crown opening have different mutual spacings.
 5. The shuttlecock according to claim 4, wherein the end segments have indentations.
 6. The shuttlecock according to claim 1, further comprising at least one releasable ring is arranged between the crown and the striking cap.
 7. The shuttlecock according to claim 6, wherein after installation the at least one ring is under pretension and has a fixed location due to, on one hand, the conical surface envelope of the crown and, on the other hand, a rear boundary wall of the striking cap.
 8. The shuttlecock according to claim 1, further comprising a press ring arranged between the crown and the striking cap, and wherein a transition between the striking cap and the press ring is step-less.
 9. The shuttlecock according to claim 8, wherein the press ring is flush with the striking cap.
 10. The shuttlecock according to claim 1, further comprising a first transverse rib arranged at the crown opening and having a wave-like shape with radial indentations.
 11. A shuttlecock, comprising: a conically shaped crown having a crown opening and a surface with an end region, a first transverse rib arranged at the crown opening and having a wave-like shape with radial indentations, and a striking cap attached to the crown opposite the crown opening.
 12. The shuttlecock according to claim 11, wherein the crown comprises longitudinal ribs and second transverse ribs, which form segments, with the segments having segment ribs.
 13. The shuttlecock according to claim 12, wherein a wave maximum of the wave-like shape of the first transverse rib is arranged on a longitudinal rib, and a wave minimum of the wave-like shape is arranged centrally between longitudinal ribs.
 14. The shuttlecock according to claim 12, wherein the segment ribs in end segments in a region of the crown opening have different mutual spacings.
 15. The shuttlecock according to claim 14, wherein the end segments have indentations.
 16. The shuttlecock according to claim 11, further comprising at least one releasable ring arranged between the crown and the striking cap.
 17. The shuttlecock according to claim 16, wherein after installation the at least one ring is under pretension and has a fixed location due to, on one hand, the conical surface envelope of the crown and, on the other hand, a rear boundary wall of the striking cap.
 18. The shuttlecock according to claim 11, further comprising a press ring arranged between the crown and the striking cap, wherein a transition between the striking cap and the press ring is step-less.
 19. The shuttlecock according to claim 18, wherein the press ring is flush with the striking cap. 